


on the road again

by ottermo



Series: As Prompted [61]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 12:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14188944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Mattie’s learning to drive. She’s not the world’s most patient student, but she has a very good teacher.





	on the road again

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Week 3, Day 6 of the Humans 4-Week Challenge. The prompt was ‘travel’.
> 
> I am trash for Mattie and Max’s friendship, this is something we will all just have to accept.

“Slower, Mattie,” says Max, mildly. “You’re too close to the car in front.”

“Sorry,” Mattie murmurs, slowing down to increase the gap. “Keep forgetting it’s not a race.”

“It’s all right. That’s what I’m here for.”

Mattie concentrates solely on driving for a little while, only breaking her focus when Max adds, “Although I still don’t know why it’s _me_ who’s here. Wouldn’t you prefer an instructor whose reaction times are the same as your own?”

“What, ‘slow’, you mean?” she asks, as they approach a corner.

Max smiles. “They may be slow compared to mine, but they’re adequate.”

“Hmm, flattering.”

She makes a turning that’s a lot less swerve-y and terrifying than the ones Max was seeing at the beginning of their little ‘lesson’.

“If you’re gonna make me say it,” she says once they’re going straight again, “It’s because I trust you. And because you’re literally the most patient person in the world. Can you imagine if I’d asked Leo to take me? By this point, we wouldn’t be speaking. He’d be doing that face. You know the one.”

It’s true, Max does know the one.

“Is there any reason why you haven’t learnt before this?” he asks, later on, as they’re nearing her house.

“Smoking ban, mostly,” she says. “I wasn’t allowed 'til I’d either given up or moved out, Mum had a 'not while you’re under my roof’ thing going on. By the time I did give up, I wasn’t even that bothered about learning. But no way am I letting Toby pass his test before me. And I can’t let him know I’m doing lessons, or he’ll put in extra effort just to beat me, which is why I can’t have a marked instructor’s car turning up all the time.”

“Which is why it had to be me or Leo.”

“Yep.”

“You could have asked Mia,” Max points out. “She’s very patient.”

“Are you trying to talk yourself out of a job, Max?” she asks, as they get out of the car.

“No. I was just wondering. She does live with you, after all. It would be less suspicious.”

Mattie rolls her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Max? That I picked you because you’re my best friend?”

“It’s just nice to hear you say it sometimes,” he says, smiling the slightly mischievous version of his usual beam.

“Well, watch it, or I’ll re-open auditions,” Mattie says threateningly, but she winks as she unlocks the door.


End file.
